Exploring the Different Types of Swivel Wheels

Swivel caster wheels are ideal for carts and equipment that need to move and maneuver. They allow for 360-degree rotation but can also be locked in place using a caster lock.

Rigid casters only roll forward and backward, so they can’t turn corners or move sideways. However, some caster kits have rigid and swivel casters to give you the best of both worlds.

Ball Bearing

A ball-bearing swivel wheel is an excellent option for anyone looking to improve the durability of their product. It allows the caster to rotate at any angle while in motion, helping to reduce strain on equipment and furniture.

One of the main issues with traditional swivel wheels is that they can fail rapidly when towed, especially if cornering is involved. This is due to the force exerted on the swivel section during a turn and the friction between the wheel and the floor.

A kingpinless swivel section eliminates this issue by using carbon steel balls inside the load hole that mate with the yoke base and top plate to hold them together. These swivel wheels also feature a grease fitting that can keep the precision-sealed ball bearings clean and lubricated. This helps extend the caster’s life and is recommended for high-impact applications.

Kingpinless

Swivel casters feature debris-rejecting polyurethane tread on a maintenance-free precision ball bearing. The swivel section uses a stem on the top plate (sometimes a rivet or bolt) to fasten together the lower part of the swivel, allowing you to tighten or loosen the kingpin for varying degrees of swivel resistance. If you need more stationary stability, directional locks or brakes may be added to prevent wheel and swivel rotation.

Rigid casters are great for limiting side-to-side movement to the length of the cart’s track, but if you need your carts to move across wider distances or maneuver in tight spaces, combining rigid casters with swivel wheels is ideal. These wheels can swivel 360°, so you can steer your cart to change direction quickly and efficiently. The welded swivel raceway eliminates the shearing of the kingpin, eliminating one of the biggest causes of caster failure and providing increased strength in harsh applications that impose high shock loading.

Swivel-on-Swivel

A heavy-duty swivel castor will increase maneuverability if you need to maneuver your equipment, carts, or other applications in tight spaces. Compared to traditional swivel casters, these wheels are made to handle higher loads and more extreme conditions, allowing them to keep up with you as you move through a workspace or aisles in a store.

These swivels are ideal for environments where you must make precise, 90-degree turns during movement. They are also popular in AGV applications because they help your automated guided vehicle stay on a prescribed path, which reduces the force you need to apply to propel it.

Swivel-on-Swivel casters have several locking options to give your application even more stability. Wheel locks prevent the swivel from rotating, while total locks stop the wheel and swivel, giving your cart maximum stability. You can also get these swivels combined with rigid casters to offer your application straight tracking and steering capabilities.

Maintenance-Free

Maintenance-free casters use neoprene-sealed precision ball bearings and hardened raceways to reduce swivel force. They also eliminate kingpin failures, shimmy after use, and the need for a swivel lead.

These casters can handle heavy loads and do not need periodic greasing, improving the work area’s ergonomics, safety, and cleanliness. Additionally, they are moisture-resistant, reducing downtime due to moisture damage.

While swivel wheels help maneuver your cart through tight corners and sideways movement, they cannot move forward in a straight line. Many caster kits combine rigid and swivel casters to offer the best of both worlds. This hybrid design enables you to move loads across greater distances while also being able to steer your cart around curves and obstacles. Some casters feature brake options that will engage with the swivel mechanism and prevent it from turning, easing control when long-distance, straight-line movement is required. This style is known as a total lock brake.